Have 'awesome' Kerry grounded the fly goalie?
Kerry's Diarmuid O'Connor with Darren Hughes of Monaghan
The day the sweeper keeper died or the day an “awesome” Kerry, as Seamus McEnaney described them, confirmed they are the team to beat this season?
Mayo might have something to say about that in Tralee on Saturday week in what could turn out to be a league final rehearsal, but Kerry were exemplary here in Inniskeen, marvellous even in winning a first half by three points against a hefty breeze and unloading on a dismal Monaghan thereafter.
Jack O’Connor described two of his side’s three goals as “fortuitous” but he will have gleaned private pleasure from all three being generated by turnovers. Involved in all three, Seán O’Shea’s vision and anticipation were top drawer to assist the second and score the third.
To get the better of a goalkeeper as accomplished as Rory Beggan is not to be sniffed at even if it was a day he would rather forget. Disappointing from placed balls, he was intercepted and lobbed for the latter two second-half goals as Monaghan’s rearguard crumbled.
Having faced the elements, Kerry led 0-7 to 0-4 at half-time and David Clifford’s first goal came three minutes into the new half. Kerry swiftly transferred the ball by foot down their right wing, O’Shea finding Paudie Clifford who supplied his brother and he dashed from the right corner across Beggan to slot the ball home.
The second in the 42nd minute came courtesy of O’Shea dispossessing Beggan in the middle of the field as he tried to gather a Darren Hughes pass. O’Shea punted the ball forward and in the foot chase David Clifford was too strong for Kieran Duffy.
O’Shea then morphed from provider into scorer in the 58th minute. Noticing Beggan off the line, he lobbed him and pushed Kerry 13 points ahead, which prompted a number of home supporters in a sizeable crowd to make for the exits.
“It was a day when everything went wrong,” rued Monaghan boss McEnaney. “Turnovers went wrong we got caught out the pitch, we got lobbed... maybe it's better they all come the one day against one of the best teams in the country, we'll regroup, we know what it is like to be at this point, we know what it's like to scramble in Division 1, we'll fight tooth and nail until the last minute of the last league game.
“(There was) a lot of risk there,” he admitted about Beggan playing out the field against the gale. “We felt we wanted to take the game to Kerry in the second half. Yes, it was a huge breeze but we could chip away, get it back to a point or two but then they got a point straight from the throw-in.”
If Monaghan’s lack of ruthlessness had cost them in their opening three matches, their downfall here was an absence of shape. Their inside defenders drowned as their teammates abandoned them. Kerry were 15 up in the 64th minute by which time it appeared even referee Paddy Neilan was taking pity on them when he chose not to whistle for a push on substitute Paul Geaney in the penalty area. Monaghan then rallied with 1-4 towards the close to put a misleading complexion on the scoreboard.
The visitors’ graft in manufacturing that three-point interval lead came after they eventually opened the scoring in the 13th minute when Paudie Clifford fisted over following a break.
The wind was causing Kerry difficulty, David Clifford hit two kicks short early on, but Monaghan looked blunt and lacked urgency when faced by 14 Kerry men. Beggan added his presence to the offence but they scored just one point for the final 22 minutes of the half.
After one of several piercing Diarmuid O’Connor runs, David Clifford levelled the game in the 23rd minute and when Dessie Ward returned with a point at the other end Tony Brosnan restored parity.
Scoring four points, Brosnan was one of the highlights for O’Connor who was happy with how his team worked their way into the game after an unconvincing start. “It took us a while to get to grips with it. We were forcing the ball a bit early on and we kicked a few balls in when they really weren’t on.
“We got a bit more patient after 15 minutes and worked the ball through the lines and picked off a few good scores. We were in a good position at half-time and then Diarmuid (O’Connor) caught the throw-in and put it over to put us in a great position. We drove on then.”
For a defence that has been so mean in its opening three rounds, to give up 1-4, even when the contest was over, in the closing stages will gnaw a little. By the sounds of it, it’s something O’Connor is sure to mention in training on Tuesday evening.
“Look, we were a bit disappointed - the (Monaghan) boys kicked 1-4 near the end but maybe lads took their foot off the gas subconsciously but look happy enough. We’d have bitten your hand off this morning for that result.”
C. McManus (1-3, 1-0 pen, 0-3 frees); K. Hughes (0-3, 2 frees, 1 mark); M. Bannigan (0-2); K. Duffy, D. Ward, A. Woods, F. Kelly (0-1 each).
D. Clifford (2-3, 0-2 frees); S. O’Shea (1-2, 0-2 frees); T. Brosnan (0-3); P. Clifford (0-2); G. Crowley, D. O’Connor, P. Geaney, S. O’Brien (0-1 each).
R. Beggan; R. Wylie (c), K. Duffy, C. Boyle; K. Lavelle, D. Ward, S. Hanratty; D. Hughes, N. Kearns; A Woods, M. Bannigan, C. Walshe; S. Carey, C. McManus, K. Hughes.
K. O’Connell for S. Hanratty, F. Kelly for C. Walshe (both h-t); G. Mohan for D. Hughes (49); J. Mealiff for K. Lavelle (55); A. Mulligan for S. Carey (60); D. McElearney for D. Ward (temp 68 to f-t).
S. Ryan; D. Casey, J. Foley, T. O’Sullivan; G. Crowley, T. Morley, B. Ó Beaglaoich; D. O’Connor, J. Barry; D. Moynihan, S. O’Shea (c), A. Spillane; T. Brosnan, D. Clifford, P. Clifford.
D. O’Donoghue for D. Casey (h-t); S. O’Brien for A. Spillane (39); G. O’Sullivan for G. Crowley (53); J. Savage for P. Clifford, P. Geaney for D. Clifford (both 59).
P. Neilan (Roscommon).
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